We’ve long said Northwest Arizona needs a bigger voice in state and national politics, and for a while, it looked like Kelli Ward might finally fill that role. However, after two near misses in her bid for a U.S. Senate seat, Ward has turned her attention to another role, one that’s less prominent but perhaps even more important when it comes to having a political influence.
Ward is seeking to become the next chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party next month. If elected by GOP committee members, she’ll take the reigns of a party that’s in need of real leadership. We think she’s more than capable. Ward has shown she can play politics at the higher levels, but she’s a product of rural Arizona, too — which more qualifies her as someone who can bring together Republicans from across the state.
The Arizona Republican Party just got through a particularly divisive election - the Senate race in particular - and it needs someone who can help reform the party's big tent so it appeals to as many conservative voters as possible, not just the party faithful. Arizona, after all, turned a little more puple in the midterms and is said to be an important state in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections.
The state GOP needs a uniter, and Ward is a good fit - perhaps more so for the chairmanship jobs than the U.S. Senate. She showed us she has the chops for strategy, networking and fundraising, and the party certainly needs a better strategy if it hopes to hang on to (and gain back) congressional seats over the next few elections.
Ward says she envisions the Republican Party ensuring that every legal vote is counted and to prevent illegal votes from being cast in the first place. She says she wants to make sure the independent redistricting commission offers a fair process to all involved.
That's a good start, and who better for the job than someone who understands from personal experience how redistricting and ballot games can affect an election's final outcome?
We hope Kelli Ward is selected for the chairmanship job when GOP committee members make their selections at their biannual meeting.
It's clear from her Senate campaigns that Ward inspires passion on the part of her supporters. She should be allowed to play that role on a larger stage.
